Organizational Communication
Textbook Exam Questions
Course Introduction
Organizational Communication explores the processes, dynamics, and strategies of communication within various types of organizations. This course examines how information flows between individuals and groups, the role of leadership and culture in shaping communication, and the impact of communication on organizational effectiveness. Students will analyze communication networks, conflict management, decision-making, and the use of technology in the workplace, gaining practical skills to enhance collaboration, manage change, and improve overall organizational performance.
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Business Communication Today 11th Global Edition by Courtland Bovee
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Chapter 1: Achieving Success Through Effective Business
Communication
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Q1) Upward communication generally helps executives solve problems and make intelligent decisions.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Describe four common types of communication barriers.
Answer: Four common types of communication barriers are noise and distractions, competing messages, filters, and channel breakdowns. Noise and distractions can be both physical and emotional and are especially common due to the widespread habit of multitasking. Competing messages make it difficult to gain and keep your audience's attention and can result in information overload, which makes it difficult to distinguish between useful and useless information and increases workplace stress. Messages can be blocked or distorted by filters, which are any human or technology intervention between the sender and the receiver. Filtering can be intentional or unintentional. Finally, channel breakdowns occur when the channel you select fails to deliver your message at all.
Q3) List three social media tools that have inspired and enabled a more conversational approach to business communication.
Answer: These social media tools include blogs, social networks and wikis.
Page 3
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Chapter 2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication
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Q1) The primary goal of empathic listening is to solve the speaker's problem.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Briefly describe at least three meeting technologies that make it easy for virtual teams to interact.
Answer: One of the newest virtual tools is online brainstorming, in which companies conduct "idea campaigns" to generate ideas from people across the organization. Another example is groupware, an umbrella term for systems that let people communicate, share files, present materials, and work on documents simultaneously. Shared workspaces are "virtual offices" that give everyone on a team access to a variety of materials. Videoconferencing combines audio communication with live video, enabling team members to see each other, demonstrate products, and transmit other visual information. Web-based meeting systems allow teams to collaborate in real time simply by logging on from any computer or smartphone from almost anywhere in the world.
Q3) ________ procedure is a time-tested method for planning and running effective meetings.
Answer: Parliamentary
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Chapter 3: Communicating in a World of Diversity
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Q1) Letters from Japanese businesspeople tend to be ________ than those written in the United States.
A) shorter
B) less interesting
C) less direct
D) more direct
Answer: C
Q2) Unlike most Asian professionals, French executives do not put their colleagues at ease with praise before they criticize.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) Compared to low-context cultures, high-context cultures tend to take a(n) ________ approach regarding the meaning of business contracts.
A) more flexible
B) equally flexible
C) more literal
D) none of the above
Answer: A
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Chapter 4: Planning Business Messages
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Q1) Messages can be unethical simply because certain details have not been included.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The primary audience for your message should always include
A) all who receive it.
B) those people with the highest status.
C) the key decision makers in the audience.
D) those people who represent the opinions and attitudes of the majority.
Q3) Skilled communicators include only the information that their audience has specifically requested.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The best reason to defer or cancel a message is if
A) your news is bad.
B) your audience is highly receptive.
C) someone else wants to deliver it.
D) the time is wrong.
Q5) List at least three strategies to help ensure the accuracy of information you in include in business messages.
Page 6
Q6) Speeches, presentations, and meetings are all examples of ________ media.
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Chapter 5: Writing Business Messages
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Q1) Connotative meanings are the literal or dictionary meanings of words.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Briefly describe at least four software capabilities that can help business writers shape their writing.
Q3) If you are preparing a form letter, file merge enables you to personalize each letter by automatically inserting names and addresses from the database.
A)True
B)False
Q4) List at least three personal characteristics that can help establish credibility with your audience.
Q5) A complex sentence consists of
A) two or more independent clauses along with all modifying phrases.
B) a single subject and a single predicate plus any modifying phrases.
C) one main thought and one or more subordinate thoughts.
D) two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.
Q6) The rules of grammar and usage do not change over time.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: Completing Business Messages
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Q1) Rewrite the following sentence to eliminate redundancies: "The engineers collaborated together in order to produce the uniquely original final outcomes of their research."
Q2) If you regularly edit for conciseness and clarity, you'll likely find that audiences are more likely to read your documents.
A)True
B)False
Q3) "Environmental impact consultant study results" is an example of
A) a dangling modifier.
B) a dependent clause.
C) a long noun sequence.
D) redundancy.
Q4) Typeface or ________ refers to the physical design of letters, numbers, and other text characters.
Q5) Centered margins
A) make the document easier to read.
B) help get audience members' attention, even before they start to read.
C) create a cleaner look because of increased white space along the right margin.
D) are best for headings and tables.
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Chapter 7: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media
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Q1) Explain how inappropriate use of email at work can lead to legal problems.
Q2) The completing step is where podcasting differs most dramatically from written communication.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Describe four challenges of effectively managing communication in a social media environment.
Q4) Compared to blogs, podcasts are
A) much easier to edit.
B) more difficult to edit.
C) used only by high-tech companies.
D) equally challenging when it comes to editing.
Q5) Which of the following is the best example of an effective email subject line?
A) Employee Parking
B) Website redesign is on schedule
C) Status Report
D) Read This!
Q6) Twitter is one example of a microblogging system.
A)True
B)False
Page 9
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Chapter 8: Writing Routine and Positive Messages
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Q1) A new co-worker recently won a prestigious award for her work on green technologies. Since you do not know her well, you should not send a note to congratulate her on the achievement.
A)True
B)False
Q2) When making a claim or requesting an adjustment, your close should
A) explain the specific details of the problem.
B) explain that you are planning to seek legal counsel.
C) request the specific action required to resolve the problem.
D) clearly state how angry and disappointed you are.
Q3) In the body of a routine request, you should
A) give your sales pitch.
B) explain and justify your request.
C) beg the reader to grant your request.
D) explain what will happen if the audience does not do what you are asking.
Q4) Before volunteering someone's name as a reference, always
A) ask that person's permission.
B) assume you have permission to do so.
C) list that person's address and phone number for ease of contact.
D) describe your relationship with that person.
Page 10
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Chapter 9: Writing Negative Messages
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Q1) It's best to suggest that the bad news will actually benefit your audience-even if you don't really think it will.
A)True
B)False
Q2) To avoid being accused of defamation, you should A) make it clear to disgruntled customers that you refuse to be intimidated.
B) avoid any kind of behavior that could be considered abusive. C) refuse to communicate with unhappy clients.
D) frequently refer to company policy.
Q3) Customers who make a claim or request an adjustment tend to be ________ involved; therefore, the indirect method is usually best for refusals.
Q4) Firing an employee whose performance reviews were all positive can result in a lawsuit.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Briefly describe the elements of a negative message that uses the indirect approach.
Q6) One way to deemphasize bad news is to embed it in the middle of a(n) ________.
Q7) List three techniques for de-emphasizing bad news.
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Writing Persuasive Messages
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Q1) A common effective approach to presenting the benefits of a product is to
A) list the features, and challenge the audience to figure out the benefits.
B) describe them with highly complex terms.
C) choose one direct benefit and one indirect benefit.
D) show them in a list or a table.
Q2) An effective ending for a persuasive message would be:
A) Please respond as soon as possible because this offer is not likely to last very long.
B) Simply take the enclosed coupon to any of our service centers by June 15 for your free oil and filter change.
C) Wouldn't you like to save some money?
D) Be sure to tell all your friends about this exciting offer.
Q3) It is particularly important to establish ________ with a skeptical or hostile audience-to convince them that you know what you're talking about and that you're not trying to mislead them.
Q4) Because promotional messages are not legally binding contracts in most states, it is usually acceptable to imply offers or promises you cannot deliver.
A)True
B)False
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Finding, Evaluating, and Processing Information
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Q1) A metacrawler enables you to use multiple search engines simultaneously.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A survey is valid if it produces identical results when repeated.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A survey is considered ________ if it produces identical results when repeated. A survey is considered ________ if it measures what it's intended to measure.
Q4) When conducting an interview, you use ________ questions to get the interviewee to offer an opinion and not just a yes-or-no answer.
Q5) An example of a recommendation would be "Given the state of the economy, now is a good time to invest in precious metals."
A)True
B)False
Q6) Because of their complexity, industry publications and blogs are not a good place to begin familiarizing yourself with an unfamiliar subject area.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 12: Designing Visual Communication
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Q1) The primary difference between titles and captions of visuals is that A) titles provide detailed descriptions of visuals, but captions give only short descriptions.
B) captions offer discussion of the visual's content.
C) titles are usually longer than captions.
D) captions usually appear above visuals, whereas titles appear below.
Q2) A basic principle of design is to maintain ________ or visual parallelism among all the visuals in a document.
Q3) U.S. government research suggests that only half of the adult population in the U.S. now has the literacy skills needed for success in the workplace.
A)True
B)False
Q4) How are Gantt charts used in business documents?
Q5) CAD stands for
A) complete audiovisual display.
B) computer adaptable display.
C) computer-aided design.
D) charts automatically designed.
Q6) What is "chartjunk"?
Page 14
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Chapter 13: Planning Reports and Proposals
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Q1) Some work plans include a preliminary or "working" outline.
A)True
B)False
Q2) In a(n) ________ proposal, the author must convince readers that a problem or opportunity exists before providing a solution or plan of action.
Q3) Whereas ________ proposals are used to request decisions from managers within an organization, ________ proposals are directed to parties outside the organization.
Q4) With an internal audience for your report, you
A) are more free to discuss sensitive information.
B) must include analysis.
C) must avoid analysis.
D) must avoid discussing sensitive information.
Q5) Position papers spell out lasting guidelines on company policies and procedures.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Report writers often combine the ________ and ________ approaches-revealing their conclusions and recommendations as they go along instead of putting them first or last.
Q7) Briefly explain problem factoring.
Page 15
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Chapter 14: Writing Reports and Proposals
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Q1) In formal proposals, the close should be the longest section.
A)True
B)False
Q2) If you end up with a large number conclusions, recommendations, or actions in your report, it is a good idea to
A) leave them out of the report itself and include them in an appendix.
B) combine similar items to make it easy on your readers.
C) number and list them.
D) go back to the drawing board and cut them down to one or two, at the most.
Q3) Report templates often identify the specific format recommended for headings.
A)True
B)False
Q4) What four topics are commonly covered in the introduction to a business proposal? Briefly explain each one.
Q5) Linking a spreadsheet to your report will help ensure that readers are always seeing the most up-to-date information.
A)True
B)False
Q6) List three ways to increase the formality of business reports.
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Completing Reports and Proposals
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Q1) In a report designed to organize a new task force, the close should
A) list the action that you would like readers to take.
B) discuss why the report was written.
C) identify the report's authors.
D) include your analysis of the data you've presented.
Q2) In a formal, unsolicited proposal, a synopsis or executive summary may be
A) useful if the proposal is fairly short.
B) placed in an appendix.
C) essential for highlighting your competitive advantage.
D) unnecessary.
Q3) An executive summary
A) gives a fully developed "mini" version of the report.
B) is unnecessary if the report is not intended for executives.
C) is shorter than a synopsis.
D) provides additional information (not covered in the report) that executives will need.
Q4) A synopsis or executive summary is usually less useful in a formal proposal than in other types of formal reports.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 16: Developing Oral and Online Presentations
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Q1) The two most common purposes of business presentations are to
A) analyze and synthesize.
B) regulate and validate.
C) illustrate and entertain.
D) inform and persuade.
Q2) Of the total time you spend writing your oral presentation, you should devote only a minimal amount to writing your introduction.
A)True
B)False
Q3) If your purpose is to analyze, persuade, or collaborate, you should organize your speech around conclusions and recommendations or a logical argument.
A)True
B)False
Q4) To hold your audience's attention during the body of your speech
A) make at least seven or eight main points.
B) relate your subject to your audience's needs.
C) include numerous abstract ideas.
D) do all of the above.
Q5) List the four delivery methods for oral presentations.
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Chapter 17: Enhancing Presentations With Slides and Other
Visuals
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Q1) When preparing a background design for slides
A) any of the designs that come with your software program will do.
B) be careful when using the design templates that come with your software.
C) you will need to consult a professional graphic artist.
D) none of the above are advised.
Q2) During the revision stage of preparing your slide presentation, you should A) check for readability and clarity.
B) determine your main idea.
C) decide on the background color to use.
D) decide where builds and transitions should be inserted.
Q3) You can use "moving blueprint slides" at several points in your presentation, but not at the end.
A)True
B)False
Q4) What is the potential disadvantage of distributing handout copies of your slides before your presentation begins?
Q5) A(n) ________ consists of large sheets of paper attached at the top like a tablet.
Q6) A(n) ________ slide is the equivalent of a report's cover and title page.
Q7) What is a title slide?
Page 19
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Chapter 18: Building Careers and Writing Résumés
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Q1) A résumé is a persuasive message designed to help you get an interview.
A)True
B)False
Q2) To fit everything on a page, it's okay to sacrifice white space on your résumé.
A)True
B)False
Q3) An online résumé
A) requires a paid subscription to an online hosting service.
B) should never include "extras" such as screencasts and online videos.
C) can give employers a more complete picture of who you are and what you have to offer.
D) is useful only if you are applying for jobs in technology-related fields.
Q4) Business-related blogs and microblogs
A) can be useful in a job search, but only for those seeking positions in technical fields.
B) can help you get comfortable with the jargon and buzzwords in a particular field.
C) are generally not very helpful to job applicants.
D) are very difficult to find online.
Q5) Should you use the word "I" in your résumé? Why or why not?
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Chapter 19: Applying and Interviewing for Employment
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Q1) It is potentially illegal for an interviewer to ask about your religious affiliation or marital status.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Explain what you should strive to achieve during a selection interview.
Q3) In a behavioral interview, you are asked to describe how you would handle various hypothetical situations on the job.
A)True
B)False
Q4) In the middle part of an application letter, you should spell out your "selling points" and other potential benefits to your employer.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Once an interviewer states the salary for a job offer, you should never try to negotiate it.
A)True
B)False
Q6) When you receive a job offer that you want to accept, you should reply within ________ days.
Page 21
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Chapter 20: Format and Layout of Business Documents
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Q1) When is an enclosure notation required in a business letter?
A) When the letter includes other documents.
B) All business letters require enclosure notation.
C) When the letter is typed by one person to express the sentiments of another person.
D) When the letter is sent in hard-copy form as a printed document rather than electronic form.
Q2) The top of a memo usually includes headings for
A) to, from, date, subject.
B) subject, to, date.
C) attention, to, from, date.
D) department, date, subject.
Q3) "Feb. 10th 2012" is the correct way to type the date in a letter.
A)True B)False
Q4) A memo should always contain a complimentary close and a signature. A)True B)False
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Chapter 21: Documentation of Report Sources
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Q1) In the list of works cited following MLA style
A) the date comes immediately after the author's name.
B) electronic sources are not included.
C) all the main words are capitalized in the titles of books and articles.
D) the titles of books and periodicals are put in quotation marks.
Q2) With APA style, you use
A) superscripts and footnotes or endnotes.
B) the author-date system.
C) the author-page number system.
D) full citations within the text itself.
Q3) With Chicago humanities style, you use
A) footnotes or endnotes.
B) the author-date system.
C) full citations within the text itself.
D) the author-page number system.
Q4) In APA style, titles of articles are put in quotation marks and all important words are capitalized.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 22: Correction Symbols
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Q1) What is the tense of the verb in this sentence? "We had given Tim the money a week before he arrived."
A) Past
B) Future
C) Present
D) Past perfect
Q2) In the following sentence, which word should not be capitalized? "After talking with President Hilda Bruckner, he decided that the Insurance industry would provide a suitable career for someone who was a graduate of the Department of Business at Gable University."
A) Department
B) Insurance
C) Gable
D) President
Q3) A semicolon is used to separate independent clauses when the second clause begins with a conjunctive adverb such as "however" or "therefore."
A)True
B)False
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